Will the 987 Boxsters become classics?

[landrovered]

The Boxster will not become a classic the Boxster is a throwback to classics of the past but with all the modern conveniences.

Just like the Miata.

All the fun of the Fiat, Triumph, MG, Jag, Porsche, Austin Healy and other roadsters of the past without the greasy hands and Lucas electrics.

Will it survive as a popular model long in the future...I think no. The popular auction cars today are all vehicles that folks are buying because the could not afford them when they were new. The fact that retro mod cars are bringing more money than original restorations speaks to the desire for drivability. Drivability and modernity are a moving target. This year it is different than the last.

The models that will be popular in the future have higher price tags than a Boxster. The Veyron, Ferrari, Lamborhini, Spyker, Ascari, Koenings, Carrera GT will likely be more collectible becuase a Boxster is actually afordable.

[Jacques79]

Actually my 2006 Boxster S only weighs 2965 pounds compared to the 2855 pounds of my 2000 Boxster S.

Add to that the fact that my 987S has the optional sport seats and the curb weight drops to 2945 pounds.

So all in all only a 90 pound increase in weight but with 30 more horsepower, a stiffer chassis and better suspension.

Far from 200-300 pounds...

The only thing I miss about my old 986S was the steering feel. The 987S has great feel, but not as communicative as the old one.

[Quickurt]

My 2006 S weighs 2885. It has one option - Litronics.
I weighed it on certified scales at the track. It had about 1/4 tank of gas.
I've also now cut 25 lb. with new wheel/tire combo and that's unsprung weight!

[greg9ball]

The direction of this post took a direction other than I intended, which of course is fine. It has been an interesting thread.

What I was hoping to discuss was to compare the 987 (or 986 - there was no offense intended to the 986. I haven't driven one so I have no opinion of it in a meaningful way) to the 911 993.

The 993 has become a highly desirable car. I know that a lot of the appeal is that it is the last of the air cooled engines. The 993 is not necessarily a classic yet; however, a lot of people are buying the 993s instead of the now less expensive 996s. There was just something special about the 993 that future 911s have not captured, despite improvements in performance. There is something special about the 993 that transcends specifications and performance.

My question was meant to ask if the current Boxster 987 (or 986) is that type of car. Is the Boxster really special? I'm not asking what it will be worth 40 years from now. Will it be the car that we think back of as a really special car. Will it be the car we wished we never sold? Will it be the car that a few years from now, Porsche fanatics find more appealing then than they do now?

I think it truly is a special car. I think we are nearing the end of an error for sports cars, just like the beginning of the 70's. It will not surprise me if over the next five years, we start to see HP specifications go down with new models instead of up. Most people didn't know they owned a special car in the late 60's / early 70's. A lot of 993 owners upgraded to 996's and now wish they had never sold their 993s.

I've been a car jumper for several years. I've jumped from car to car from the following cars: Q45, Acura CL type S, Honda S2000, 2002 Corvette, Lexus SC430 to the 2005 Boxster S. The Boxster S is the first car that I have owned where I wasn't looking for the next car within a year. I've owned it two years. When the itch to get something different finally kicked in, I just couldn't figure out what I would want instead. I'd still trade my Boxster for a 993 Turbo, but I'm not willing to pay 30K more for it! It was after this exercise of trying to decide what I would want to own next, that I decided that there really is something special about the Boxster.

Someone said in a post on this forum, that the Boxster was just a stop on the way in his quest for cars. It wasn't a "destination." I've come to the conclusion, after two years of ownership, that perhaps the Boxster S is a destination for me. I really love this car! It is such a great balance of everything I want in a car (except that my drums don't fit!).

In fact, I decided when I bought it that I would not upgrade the stereo for a year, just in case I decided I wanted something different. After a year, I thought about putting in a stereo. I knew I loved the car, but I was still worried that I might become fickle again. Its been two years and I love the car more than ever. I'm putting a ring on the boxster's finger with a stereo upgrade!


I was wondering of others felt the same way.

Greg

[rick3000]

I don't think the Boxster will ever be sought after like the 993. The people that want a 993 now, are the guys that couldn't afford one when they came out and now have enough cash to finally get one.
The Boxster is going to be more like the 914 (or Spitfire, MG, etc), bought for being a fun 2 seater convertible that you can pick up cheaper than a new Porsche and still enjoy immensely.

Right now the Boxster is my 'destination car,' I wouldn't even trade it for a 996. But I can't say how I will feel in a few years, I may have to get a 987, or would it be 988 by then.

[70Sixter]

Who'da thought the Model T would be a classic in 1929?! And the 64-66 original Mustang has already been mentioned. Hows 'bout 2CV?

They were ************************************ cars. Everybody had one. So they mostly got trashed, hotrodded or left in garages as worthless.

Even the big-engined monsters from the 70s that are so valuable now fell to worthless when gas got expensive. And they were terrible cars except for straight line acceleration. I know - I had a 67.5 Firebird 400 4sp with the hood tach.

And the Speedster! Porsche hated it and thought it was not a real Porsche. Thank you Max Hoffman. I remember when they were cheap used cars listed in Panorama for numbers that make me hate myself for not snapping one up. And a lot were bought as DDs until they died or rusted away. Or tracked.

I watch prices in Hemmings and am regularly amazed at the prices brought by reasonably maintained or restored cars like the 67 Mini Moke for $22k!

So do I think someone will eventually pay way too much for an original paint, numbers matching stock Boxster that has been gently used and painstakingly cared for by one owner?

Absolutely.